By voting in the local elections, you are playing a vital role in the democratic process and having your voice heard on issues that affect Auckland and your local community.
The word ‘democracy’ comes from the Greek word 'demo’s - meaning 'citizen’ - and 'kratos’ - meaning ’power’. Democracy means “citizen power”, which you could also consider as ‘people power’.
Democracy is a form of government where the people of a nation have the power to decide who will represent them and which laws they will live by.
Here in New Zealand, we have a form of representative democracy. That means that we decide who we want to represent us and our interests when decisions are made, at local or central government level.
In democracies, we select representatives (politicians) through the elections process.
Elections give you the opportunity to vote for your preferred candidates who can act on your behalf when it comes to decision making.
Although not compulsory, voting plays a vital role in democracy and is a fundamental act of community participation.
A referendum question asks people to vote on a particular idea or decision. The results may lead to the adoption of a new law. A binding referendum requires the result to be implemented (acted on) whereas an indicative referendum does not. All enrolled voters in New Zealand can take part in a referendum by post or in person.
The Flag Referendum in 2015 asked New Zealanders to rank five proposed designs of a potential new flag. The 2016 Referendum asked people to choose between the current flag and the winning design from the first referendum. The vote was binding so the flag did not change.
The Firefighters Referendum 1995 asked how many firefighters New Zealand should have. The results were provided as a recommendation to central government and used to inform MPs in their decision-making process.
Anyone can start a petition for a nationwide referendum known as a citizens-initiated referendum. For a referendum to be held, several processes set out in the Citizens Initiated Referenda Act 1993 must be followed and supporting signatures from over 10 per cent of eligible voters nationwide must be obtained.
A government-initiated referendum is one promoted by the government. It can be binding or indicative and can pose more than one question or questions with more than two possible answers.
Most democratic nations have different levels of government. In New Zealand we have local and central government.
Elections every three years decide who we want to represent us, whether across the whole country or within a local area.
In Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland, our local government is Auckland Council. Visit Local versus general elections to learn more.
Read quick facts about the local elections, learn how elected members make decisions that affect you and your local community. Learn why voting is important.
The differences between local and central government, how their responsibilities are divided and who makes decisions about what.
Take a closer look at how the local elections process works, including the Electoral Commission’s role.
Get an overview of our key plans, find out which local board and ward you will be voting in, learn about licensing trusts and how to vote for their trustees.
A list of the key dates for local elections 2025.
Find the local board and ward you will be voting in for the 2025 local elections, plus learn more about how they work.
